15 Feb Early Morning Lilies – Jacki Kellum Watercolor

I am trying to paint every day, but I am also teaching several classes, and I am trying to get my house ready to sell. In other words, I am fighting the hassles that Life slings at me, so that I can carve out a few unadulterated moments to paint, and I have discovered that on most days, early, early morning is my only time to paint.

This morning, I arose at 5 a.m., and I began my painting ritual, which involves a musical meditation. I always begin my morning by listening to 3 songs: The Prayer, Consider the Lilies, and Bring Him Home. I am not surprised that in my early morning paintings, I see the presence of God’s light, filtering into the shadows, and that is certainly what I feel that I have painted in Early Morning Lilies, and in Forest Daffodil: The Prayer, too

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. Matthew 6: 28 – Two verses earlier at Matthew 6:26 Jesus told his followers not to worry about food because even the birds are provided for by God.

In another post, I have said that I am diligently trying to live more by faith and to paint more by faith, too. I am finally yielding to the reality that I alone cannot fix anything. Instead of insisting that everything march to the cadence that I think that I hear, I am learning that I need to listen for the guidance that is greater than I, and it is amazing how different my life is becoming because of my beginning to accept the simple truth that I cannot be in absolute control.

27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Luke 12:27

I am inspired by the scripture which assures us that even though the lilies do not worry and strive and struggle for control, they are clothed–and not clothed but are arrayed in finery.

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10b

Yesterday, a friend was talking about another of our mutual colleagues, and she rubbed her head disparagingly, saying: “Margaret always reaches for the low-hanging fruit.”

I thought about that today. In the Bible, we are told that we don’t even know what to ask for, but we are still expected to pray. I believe that the Bible is saying that God wants more for us than we can even imagine requesting. He wants more than mere clothing for us, he wants to costume us for a grand parade, but we must learn to wait and to listen and to pray.

David Foster said this about writing his song: The Prayer

“The best songs come through you and not from you. …
The song comes when the feeling can’t be said without it. …
It came fast, it came through me …
It was a moment.”- David Foster

The Prayer
by David Foster

I pray You’ll be our eyes
And watch us where we go
And help us to be wise
In times when we don’t know

Let this be our prayer as we go our way
Lead us to a place
Guide us with Your grace
To a place where we’ll be safe

I pray we’ll find Thy light
And hold it in our hearts
When stars go out each night
Thee our eternal star

Let this be our prayer when shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place
Guide us with Thy grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe